11. Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (H. Vinoth, 2017)
“Theeran Adhigaram Ondru” is a solid crime thriller which compromises a little for commercialization yet manages to be an impressive account of a brutal true story. As the title refers the film as Adhigaaram Ondru meaning Chapter One, there are chances of a sequel. But the Operation Bawariya story is finished here and since the character is fictional they can go on with a fictional story. Although, let us hope that it won't turn out like the atrocious “Singam” trilogy starring Surya, elder brother of Karthi. (Jithin Mohan)
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12. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (S.S. Rajamouli,2017)
“Baahubali 2” brings the concept of film to its basics, providing pure entertainment and visual pleasure in full-of-nonsense fashion, in a tactic that allows the spectator to enjoy the film purely, without any need for thought, or anything else for that matter. The result is invigorating as it is delightful. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
13. Roobha (Lenin M. Sivam, 2018)
Lenin M. Sivam is known for his realistic and powerful depiction of Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora and he delivers again with “Roobha”. The story is based on the short story written by Shoba Satki which is actually the pen name of actor Antonythasan. The way the story unfolds shows the stigma around transgenders that is just hate or acceptance in the western world but for the Tamil world it is just complete ignorance about the whole situation. However, the way they have grown up and lived their life, it is not possible to blame them for everything they do. (Jithin Mohan)
14. Resurrection (Ram, 2018)
“Resurrection” is a very hard film to watch, due to its duration and central theme, but the outcome is quite rewarding as it sheds light on a number of rarely depicted issues and a very well planned and executed relationship. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
15. My Son Is Gay (Lokesh Kumar, 2018)
“My Son Is Gay” has a difficult narrative to handle and director Lokesh Kumar does a brilliant job of portraying his thoughts aesthetically. The vastness of the sea has been shown as a metaphor for acceptance in many scenes, beautifully. Lokesh Kumar must have a target audience in mind and shot a movie that stimulates our thoughts, packed with many timely and strong statements. (Sankha Ray)
16. Seththumaan (Pig) (Thamizh, 2019)
“Seththumaan” is a jewel of a film. On a formal level it convinces with a fast pace, but has a few insecurities in the camera work. The hand camera aesthetic doesn't fit this, already very turbulent content. But then, you will easily forgive this little immaturity, because of the outstanding dialogues and cast. Most of the actors are not very well known. Still not only Manickam as Poochi delivers an authentic and convincing performance, but also everyone else. (Teresa Vena)
17. The Loyal Man (Lawrence Valin, 2019)
Director Lawrence Valin has garnered quite an acclaim for both of his directorial efforts. His previous short-film won big at Clermont Ferrand. With ‘The Loyal Man', he takes it to another level by getting an award for his acting performance as well. This second short film, which is also written and directed by him, is part of this year's Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Within the 37 minutes, he is able to bring a surprising level of exuberance with his prowess over the craft. (Guest Writer)
18. The Smile (Upama) (S.S. Jishnu Dev, 2019)
“The Smile” does have some solid concept and showcases potential towards narrative growth. Conceptually, the movie is a solid entry, showing a keen introspective of the world, told through the two central characters, the poet and the mentally challenged Apuu. Sadly, the execution fails in almost every regard, making the production an exercise in patience. (Adam Symchuk)
19. Kattumaram (Swarnavel Eswaran, 2019)
Swarnvel Eswaran's command is apparent on the performances just as well over his craft. Furthermore, the ruined shores and jungles add emotional weight to the narration with their effective cinematography. As a result, Kattumaram becomes an effective tragedy with the obvious metaphor of an actual Catamaran. In this case, the stability between the two parallel ways of thinking derives from understanding and acceptance. (Guest Writer)
20. Mounam (R. Prem Kumar, 2019)
In the end, “Mounam” is a short film questioning the notion of “disability”. Through the use of the great sound design by Adithya Shekan, R. Prem Kumar's film challenges the way we perceive the world and how much we rely on sensory information to decipher the world around us. (Rouven Linnarz)
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